Discovery expected to land "Sarah Palin's Alaska"
Sarah Palin to Discovery? You betcha.
Discovery Communications is expected to announce that it has won the Sarah Palin tourney. The cabler had been a front-runner to land the untitled Alaska-themed series, to be produced by Mark Burnett Prods., along with A&E.
Earlier today, word emerged, however, that A&E was likely no longer in the running, leaving Discovery as the presumptive winner.
Discovery execs were unavailable for comment all day, as many were in Chicago prepping for a mini-upfront presentation. Palin wasn't expected to make an appearance there, but she could be in attendance when Discovery conducts its official upfront in New York on April 8.
Show is believed to have fetched more than $1 million an episode -- a hefty pricetag for a freshman unscripted cable skein.
But this, of course, is not just your average unscripted cable skein. The controversial Palin is seen as a mega-draw -- both among her rabid fans, as well as curiosity seekers who might tune in to see how the former Alaska governor presents herself.
"Sarah Palin's Alaska" will center on interesting characters, traditions and attractions in the 49th state -- with the ex-VP candidate as a guide. Burnett and Palin pitched the show to all four major networks -- but given the travelogue nature of the series, cable expressed more interest in the project.
Discovery ultimately made the most sense -- as the channel's hit "Deadliest Catch" is also shot in Palin Country. And Palin also happened to make a brief appearance on Discovery's 2008 doc "Toughest Race on Earth: Iditarod" -- shot before she became a household name.
Palin may have also been concerned over being lumped in with some of A&E's stars -- such as Gene Simmons or Dog the Bounty Hunter. On the flip side, as A&E focuses on interesting characters and their lives, a travelogue hosted by Palin might have been a strange fit. (Show probably would have also run on AETN's History and/or Lifetime, where it would have made more sense.)
At Discovery, it's still unclear whether the Palin show will pop up on multiple networks -- including Oprah Winfrey's OWN. Winfrey, of course, recently conducted a much-talked-about chat with Palin on her daytime gabber.







Variety's Team TV -- Cynthia Littleton, Stu Levine, Jon Weisman, Andrew Wallenstein and A.J. Marechal -- provides a roundup of stories big and small, as well as opinions and analysis from across the TV dial.
Subscribe to this blog's feed
A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life. A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
Posted by: Cheap Nike Air Max | May 30, 2011 at 11:33 PM
A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life. A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
Posted by: Cheap Nike Air Max | May 30, 2011 at 11:18 PM
When love has already become "chicken ribs", when it is tasteless to eat but waste to throw away, what will we be supposed to choose?
Posted by: cheap sunglasses | May 19, 2011 at 06:59 PM
Now the information flows in an era of abundant data are changing the relationship between technology and the role of the state once again. Everyone's life is inseparable from the information.
Posted by: Discount Sunglasses Outlet | May 19, 2011 at 01:37 AM
Whenever we look into the obscene memories, a sexy debaucheries, a merciless plus tortuous xecutions, a undeniable vindictiveness by using which will over fifty percent a Word of god is definitely filled up, it would extra dependable that him and i get in touch with them the idea of on the satanic force versus the tatement with The lord. This is the track record with wickedness who has provided so that you can dodgy plus brutalize humankind; plus, to get this section, I actually genuinely do not like them, when i do not like all that is definitely merciless.
Posted by: Ed Hardy 2011 | May 16, 2011 at 12:44 AM
Contrary to popular belief, Sarah Palin does NOT represent the typical Alaskan. True Alaskans are well educated and don't rely on outrageous statements (death panels)to make themselves popular. We're better than that.
Posted by: dish tv | May 02, 2011 at 04:06 PM
I am very disappointed in this whole thing. I have not had the opportunity to visit Alaska and see the beauty it has to offer. I would watch a show on it but not from this woman's point of view. She is only in it for the money.
Posted by: Ruth | April 27, 2010 at 09:00 AM
If Palin Is telling all this 'Fiction' then Why is it that obama Had Said that he would do all these thing and yet they haven't gotten done yet? I find it hard to believe that Obama has done anything during his turn in office and all you people acting so hypocritical When She hasn't had the chance to do anything she said. And by the way She Can See Russia From her house She lives Because she lives So close :D
Posted by: Crazel | April 18, 2010 at 08:33 PM
Yup, count me as one more subscriber lost from Discovery Channel's audience, pity as I enjoyed their programing but to have a bare-faced liar front a serious documentary is too much. Did you know while Palin continues to tell us that we shouldn't have universal healthcare, and even has the gall to advise the Canadians on the same - her family have enjoyed free healthcare all their lives as her husband is considered Indian and therefore gets free health. And, when she was a child, her family used to cross the border into Canada to take advantage of free health care - a fact she freely and seemingly proudly announced to a Canadian audience just after telling them they shouldn't have universal healthcare.
Posted by: Sarah | March 31, 2010 at 05:57 PM
Just a thought...the new COO at Discovery is Peter Liguori who used to work for Fox Network....hmmmm, I think he probably had a big part in the crazy decision to do the Alaska thing with Palen....I won't watch and I have lots of friends who will be boycotting all the Discovery channels.
Posted by: ddunaway | March 30, 2010 at 09:56 PM
Sarah Palin hunts wolves from a helicopter. Unless discovery is going to hunt Palin with a helicopter I am canceling my subscription to discovery and notifying their advertiser.
In addition I have started a boycot at my colege.
Posted by: Mark Green | March 29, 2010 at 08:05 AM
Discovery channel use to be a high quality channel I
enjoyed watching. What happened? Did Murdoch buy
Discovery channel? Looks to me like the mother of "Joe
The Plummer" is seeking a lot of exposure before the
next election. She'll need it!
Posted by: dr. charles parker | March 25, 2010 at 10:18 AM
God almighty, i had utmost respect for disc. channel and always loved it. forget it now, however. they r showing who they really r! scary! not credible at all. bad bad move folks.
Posted by: rose | March 25, 2010 at 02:32 AM
The Discovery Channel has been one of our favorites, because it's above the nonsense of the Palins etc. Well, it was good while it lasted. Goodbye Discovery Channel.
Posted by: commenter | March 24, 2010 at 09:08 PM
Most of you sound like young people being hauled to hell in a hand basket, if you know what that means, when you put down the one person (a Woman) who actually loves her country and it's people. Wake up all of you. Sara is our only best bet to regain our america before it is socialized. I bet Sara has no problem showing her birth certificate.
More power to her and God's blessings and strength.
When will our your generation wake up?
Without Sara, some morning you will turn your TV on to Government on all channels saying, Good morning, this is your new government, you will.....or be arrested or executed. Remember Obama wants you to turn in your friends and family members that speak against him!!!
Sara..straight ahead, stay the course..HELP!!
Posted by: Richard | March 24, 2010 at 08:55 PM
I will boycott any station that gives this disgusting woman a television show.
Goodbye discovery channel you've gone to garbage lately anyway, with your redneck logging and monster truck shows, so I guess this move was inevitable.
Posted by: meh | March 24, 2010 at 08:09 PM
if this woman get a show on discovery channel, i will cancel my subscription.
Posted by: maxine | March 24, 2010 at 02:40 PM
Here comes the left and their mighty boycotts, self-induced Stalinism. LOL.
Posted by: Steve Rudd | March 24, 2010 at 10:03 AM
I see there are several people who commented who believe in the "free speech only as long as I agree with you" credo. Discovery has a history of airing shows with various points of views, are you going to start boycotting every show you don't agree with. Will you move on to other forms of media? Will you start burning books? How far will you take it to see to it no one else can present a different point of view?
Posted by: Allen | March 24, 2010 at 09:34 AM
And her cohost should be??? DAN QUAYLE!! Palin-Drones http://anachronousanaesthesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/palin-drones.html
Posted by: AMargaritaCabrera | March 24, 2010 at 09:11 AM
What a shame. I love the Discovery Channel, but I'll be canceling my subscription on sheer principle. How can I support any network providing a platform for her to spew her hateful, ignorant nonsense?
Posted by: Julie | March 24, 2010 at 05:28 AM
There are plenty of amazing Alaskans who could narrate a show like this who are knowledgeable about the far-flung reaches of our great state, and the many issues that concern its inhabitants. Our quitter governor has proven she isn't one of them, and that she prefers to live in her own alternate reality. If Discovery puts her on a show about Alaska, they will have ruined their credibility and earned a boycott from me.
Posted by: Alaskan2 | March 24, 2010 at 02:58 AM
I love it! This is great news. I am going to watch the show. I already love the Discovery Channel and this makes me love it more. She will make a great host. She is smart and is a true Alaskan. I think she will make her state proud and make me want to visit Alaska again. I loved it there. It's God's country.
Posted by: Kim | March 23, 2010 at 11:22 PM
So... will this be a reality show that the first person to quit wins?
Posted by: George Johnston | March 23, 2010 at 08:55 PM
that is why discovery channel is called discovery.
Posted by: Compare Satellite TV | March 23, 2010 at 08:39 PM
What a disappointing choice. I'm a lifelong Alaskan, and I consider her to be the most environmentally disastrous governor we've ever had. She established a subcabinet to review the problems we're facing now from climate change, and now she's pretending that she thought it was "snake oil" science all along. She is responsible for the most aggressive and destructive wildlife policies we've ever had. She openly supported the Pebble Mine, a foreign-owned project that threatens our state's most important salmon habitat.
Sure hope this show includes photographs of state biologists shooting wolves from helicopters, of trappers killing wolves from the Denali National Park wolf pack, and black bear females and cubs being shot over bait. This fall, the state's going to consider allowing black and brown bears to be trapped outside of "predator control" areas. Thanks, Sarah.
I hope Discovery is prepared for an advertising boycott of this show, because a lot of Alaskans are sick of the way she exploits this state for her own personal gain, and because we're stuck with her horrible wildlife policies and appointees. Can't even vote her out of office, but we sure can make sure Discovery's viewers know what Sarah Palin's reality looks like.
See this blog site for a useful round-up of her environmental sins: http://palingates.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Arctos | March 23, 2010 at 03:48 PM
I guess y'all over @ Discovery ate several big bowls of crazy if the Witch of Wasilla does indeed end up with a show. No doubt your channel will be boycotted, but so will your advertisers. AMF!
Posted by: Hyperdrive | March 23, 2010 at 03:15 PM
Apparently, politics isn't as lucrative as she hoped, and is too much work... so she went back to being a TV announcer / beauty pageant contestant.
Posted by: Mark Kraft | March 23, 2010 at 03:04 PM
unseen says:
"this is great. I never watched discovery much but for this show I will not only watch the show but i'll sit thru the commercials too. Discovery will make a killing on this show."
what a surprise, you don't watch the Discovery Channel much.
Probably because it's a science/learning channel and you'll only watch it because an anti-learning, anti-science, anti-environmentalist quitter is on it.
Posted by: Brian | March 23, 2010 at 01:43 PM
I assume, based on her past practice, Discovery will be required to provide her and her family with a complete new wardrobe.
.
And if she follows the pattern or her most recent job, she will quit after the 5th or 6th episode.
Posted by: Dennis M | March 23, 2010 at 01:14 PM
This show sounds really interesting and I'd totally watch it, except the host, totally seperate from her politics (or at least as much as I can ever turn that part of my brain off), has a voice that G-R-A-T-E-S on my nerves like my ears are caught in wood chipper, so guess I won't be watching the first couple of episodes.
I hope the Lieutenant Host who will replace her when she quits won't be as bad. It'll probably be "Sarah Palin's Alaska", followed by "The Palin Family's Alaska" hosted by Todd and bunch where they tell us all that Sarah died in a snow machine accident, and then weirdly, Sandy Duncan will show up as the aunt.
Posted by: LogopolisMike | March 23, 2010 at 01:10 PM
Have we not suffered enough of this narcissistic squeaky loudmouth, who hails from the Meth Capitol of the World (less than 1 per ea sq mi in Wasilla), and who could not even be bothered to visit Alaska's villages when Gov, even when elders were literally starving in 9 villages (while she spent State $s flying around instead, promoting herself, naturally). They are not real subsistence fishermen, or Eskimo (most of my Eskimo friends really resent their using that term& disown her&drinking hubby).
This is who is going to guide the public on Alaska? She knows nothing of Alaska, other than the small world that serves her.
We are not "Palin's Alaska," it is not "Palin's Alaska," that she will newly attempt to discover & show. Palin's Alaska is a self serving world, where she intimidated and basically blackmailed folks into doing as she wished. That is Palin's Alaska.
BTW, I happened to see Palin at McDonald's yesterday, as she hopped out of her car, walking across a busy parking lot with her small child just following many paces behind her, no hand held, etc. We thought, what kind of parent is that? What are they thinking? Then saw who it was, of course! How typical of her that is.
Please, Mark Burnett, have some pity on us. We have to live here. Produce her somewhere else Outside, where she wants to be & belongs.
Posted by: SusanofAlaska | March 23, 2010 at 12:53 PM
"leaving Discovery as the presumptive winner"
Is "winner" really the correct word here?
Posted by: AJ | March 23, 2010 at 12:50 PM
So the channel most associated with science and the living world is now going to host the creationist, anti-science, racist, conservative bimbo we all know as Ms. Sarah. You betcha. How counter-intuitive. Wondering how many other Discovery viewers are going to feel "slimed" by this development? I know I won't be surfing by any channel that carries the kind of ignorant crap this individual regularly regurgitates.
Posted by: charlie | March 23, 2010 at 12:38 PM
Great! I can't wait to watch this documentary, since it sounds really interesting and will have a fascinating host!
Posted by: Holly | March 23, 2010 at 12:30 PM
Shouldn't it be a "I'm not in reality show"? Please America, stop the madness before it takes us all down.
Posted by: Holland Wood | March 23, 2010 at 11:49 AM
Dear Discovery, You can count this lifetime Republican and career soldier OUT. I am boycotting your channel and telling every other soldier I know to do the same. Palin is an embarrassment to the USA.
Posted by: Bill | March 23, 2010 at 11:44 AM
Great another show based on fiction and mythological creatures.
Seriously though, how can a channel that runs shows about nature and dinosaurs present a show based on a young earth creationist who just a few election cycles ago wanted nothing more then to succeed from our great Union, the United States?
I may boycott... after the mini-series Life ends at least.
Posted by: Nicklinc | March 23, 2010 at 11:21 AM
WTF Discovery? What are you guys smoking?
Posted by: Kyle | March 23, 2010 at 11:15 AM
I am glad someone is creating private sector jobs around here and not government jobs.
Posted by: PalinPower | March 23, 2010 at 11:12 AM
A person who can not finish the job she was elected to you are giving a job at a price that is unreal. You have lost a viewer if she is on your channel
Posted by: Jackie | March 23, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Yup, I really learn alot from the history channel and the discovery channel...... Nothing like axe-men or monsterquest. Amazing, these used to be 2 great channels...
Posted by: gary | March 23, 2010 at 10:50 AM
This gives me ample reason to boycott Discovery. It was enough that Deadliest Catch is just about the most boring show on television, now this. K, Bye!
Posted by: Tim | March 23, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Palin's Alaska? I thought she dumped that state to make a fortune in the Lower 48. Oh, now I get it: she will now embrace Alaska for a cool one mil per episode. America, what a country.
Posted by: Ricardo | March 23, 2010 at 10:03 AM
Soon to be renamed the Discover Russia from my Front Porch Channel. then right after that the Quitter Channel as the show has to run 40 minutes of dead air after sarah quits in the middle.
Posted by: harry canary | March 23, 2010 at 09:56 AM
this is great. I never watched discovery much but for this show I will not only watch the show but i'll sit thru the commercials too. Discovery will make a killing on this show.
Posted by: unseen | March 23, 2010 at 09:53 AM
That's just a whole lot of channels I can block on my satellite listing! Great.
Discovery consider yourself having one less ad watcher.
Dopes.
Posted by: Gindy51 | March 23, 2010 at 09:44 AM
I did have respect for the Discovery Channel. I am perplexed that they would put that thing on, and give it credence.
Posted by: SteveS | March 23, 2010 at 09:23 AM
Palin belongs of The SyFy Channel...everything she says is fiction.
Posted by: chrislib | March 23, 2010 at 08:55 AM
Then why are you reading a story about her, Lauren? And taking the time to comment?
Posted by: alwaysfiredup | March 23, 2010 at 08:52 AM
Good Lord. Politics aside, I've just really had enough of this woman. Too much exposure.
Posted by: Lauren | March 23, 2010 at 07:58 AM